Do you find life overwhelming? Is getting through your day like running the Boston marathon? Does your day include doctor’s appointments, bills to be paid, and household chores? Are you afraid to open your mail for the fear of seeing a negative bank balance or the unpaid bills? It all adds up to a paralyzing sense of doom called overwhelm. However there are practical ways to ground yourself when you are overwhelmed and have ADHD.
Perspective – When an adult with ADHD is overwhelmed, you often can’t see the woods through the trees. The details of overwhelm is the bigger picture. It is the bigger picture that gives you focus. Try to step back from the overwhelming situation, so you can regain your focus. Offer yourself the gift of time and space.
Learn To Ask For Help – Another factor behind the feeling of overwhelm is the feeling that you can’t do everything by yourself. Let your friends/family support you. You would do the same for them in a quick second. Even in the new world of social media can remind you that you are not alone.
Learn To Say No – Give yourself permission to say no, when you are feeling overwhelmed. Say no without any guilt or shame. It gives you the opportunity to claim responsibility. A well timed no protects a deeper yes to who you are and allows you to pace yourself and to hold your overwhelm at bay.
Set Priorities – Break down tasks or problems into chunks and only focus on the important ones. The feeling of overwhelm can trick you to think that you have to do everything NOW. Don’t fall for it. Take charge of your to do list and set your own schedule.
Give Yourself Credit For Progress – The feeling of overwhelm is a vicious cycle. You beat yourself up for not reaching your goals which makes you feel more overwhelmed. Give yourself progress you HAVE made. Be kind and encourage yourself. Think of all the times you were feeling overwhelmed in the past and how you overcame the feeling step by step. You can do it again. You ARE stronger now than you were the last time you overcame overwhelm.
Focus On the Present Moment – Finally, but most important, remind yourself that the only thing that you HAVE to handle is this very moment. Ask yourself this question, “in this moment am I ok”? In this moment you are ok, and in this moment the world is turning at the exact speed it needs to be in. In this moment you can choose a response that will be your act of boldness against the feeling of overwhelm. Every moment is a new opportunity to start again and the feeling of overwhelm has nothing can match that power.